Mice were ‘living in the walls’ of home

Rebecca Ashwell and Tony Lunnon, with their children. Picture by Kate Shemilt. C140598-2

Published:07:00Wednesday 25 June 2014

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A FAMILY has asked for help in stopping a further mouse infestation of their home, after spending £320 exterminating the rodents.

Tony Lunnon, Rebecca Ashwell and their three children live in Church Mead Close, Lavant.

After contacting their housing association Home Group in March when the first infestation happened, Mr Lunnon said he was told to pay for a pest control team to get rid of them, then the housing association would take steps to secure the property against further infestations.

He said Home Group fitted a vent, but the mice returned this month.

“We know they’re living in the walls,” he said, just before a pest control team came to remove the mice.

He had paid two lots of £180 to get rid of the mice.

“I can’t keep affording it,” he said.

“We had them all killed off.”

He said they were worried about their children getting ill from the mice in the house.

“Kids will be kids and run around all over the floor,” he said,

“I’ve rung the landlord and said ‘look you’ve got to come help us’.

He said the landlord had a ‘duty of care to the tenant’.

The couple have three children, aged six, four and three.

Jeremy Lear, Home Group maintenance contracts manager, said: “Ms Ashwell contacted us on March 10 saying that mice were entering her home.

“We sent a repair team out which fixed the hole the mice were using to get inside the property and Ms Ashwell said she was satisfied with this.

“We didn’t hear anything else from Ms Ashwell until June 2 when she reported another hole.

“We’ve now arranged to remove her fitted kitchen and to work with pest control experts to discover how mice are still entering. We’ll block up any holes before re-installing her kitchen.”

Mr Lunnon said the latest group of mice were now gone from the home and that steps were being taken to try to block up all the ways they were getting in.